Master of Public Health

Overview

Change lives and make a difference in the local, national and global health community.

The purpose of the online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is to prepare candidates to advance professionally as effective, innovative and ethical health care leaders. Curriculum is focused on core disciplines within the scope of public health practice including epidemiology, biostatistics, behavioral science, environmental and occupational health, and strategic management of public health services.

Professionals in public health practice around the world are facing challenges - familiar, new, and emerging. Chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity continue to be leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and beyond. Infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic continue to be problematic causes of mortality on a global-scale while emerging epidemics such as H1N1 influenza, SARS, avian influenza, and Ebola virus, have pandemic potential, capturing the attention of the public and of public health professionals alike. Additionally, individuals continue to engage in risky behaviors such as tobacco use and substance abuse, compromising both individual and population health and wellness. The U.S. and global populations are facing an unprecedented shift in aging which presents challenges as public health professionals attempt to prepare healthcare systems to accommodate specific needs of older adult populations. Meanwhile, there is increased awareness and importance focusing on disaster preparedness, whether from natural means or bioterrorism.

Students in the online Master of Public Health degree program will develop specific knowledge and skills pertinent to gainful employment in the public health domain such as emergency services management, disaster preparedness, program planning and evaluation, academic and applied research methods, and NIH grant writing.

Graduates will develop a population-based perspective of wellness supported by rigorous academic training that explores the relationships among environmental/occupational, physical, psychological, economic, social, and spiritual dimensions of health affecting the human condition and population health. Additionally, graduates are eligible to sit for the nationally recognized credentialing examination in health education–Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) or Master CHES (depending on years of professional experience)–offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Consistent with the University student outcomes, upon completion of the Master of Public Health degree, graduates will be able to:

Effectively present information orally and in writing.

Assess needs, resources and capacities relevant to service in public health.

Plan individual and population based health education

Implement and assess individual and population based health education.

Conduct research and evaluation related to public health.

Administer and manage public health resources.

Develop as a future public health resource.

Develop as a future public health advocate.

Integrate a Christian perspective as it relates to health and wellness.

Course Requirements

Prerequisites

Applicants should possess the following common body of knowledge from prerequisite courses (completed with a “C-” or better) or approved work related experience in:
• Introduction to Statistics
• Introduction to Epidemiology

Master of Public Health (44 units)

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the organization of the U.S. health care ?system.? It examines the major institutions, professions and political forces that influence the provision of health care services. Students explore the development of major components of the medical care system from an historical perspective by examining the changes in their organization and role over time. They also consider the major problems presently confronting each aspect of health care and discuss alternative means of resolving these issues for the future. (3 units)

This course introduces students to physical, chemical and biological hazards found in the environment and health risks associated with workplace and community exposure to them. Risks to special populations and mechanisms of reducing or controlling these risks are discussed. (3 units)

This course discusses approaches to health promotion and disease prevention intervention in different settings, using varied strategies, and for different target groups. The course is intended to be practical in nature focusing on the specifics of intervention development and delivery and how these might vary across settings, behaviors and strategies. The course will emphasize the careful exploration of examples of intervention creation, delivery and effectiveness. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the resources, and other practical considerations necessary to produce, deliver, monitor, and disseminate an intervention with demonstrated effectiveness. (3 units)

The overall framework for the course is based on the bio-psychosocial or ecologic perspective on health. In these models, health is seen as being determined by biologic, behavioral, social, and environmental factors that interact with each other and, to a greater or lesser extent, can be influenced by individuals and groups. (3 units)

This course provides historical perspectives, definitions and discussion of current public health issues. Additionally, this course prepares future public health professionals to draw on knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines to define, critically assess/evaluate contemporary public health challenges. Topics may include emergency preparedness for environmental/natural disasters, bioterrorism and a review of the responding agencies (e.g. FEMA, etc.). In addition, determination of potential funding sources required to meet identified public health needs, with an emphasis on the process of formulating a fundable plan, and communicating that plan in NIH-style or an alternate appropriate format. (3 units)

In this course, students will analyze how leaders account for internal and external factors to improve organizational and system performance, thereby meeting individual and community health needs. Some topics may include organizational resources, fiscal management, marketing, organizational leadership, etc. Students will also study strategy development and implementation that meets multiple stakeholder demands, with attention given to Continuous Quality Improvement/Total Quality Management. Students will examine contemporary health service issues through multi-disciplinary perspectives within organizational leadership, culminating in the articulation of a personal philosophy of leadership. (3 units)

Students explore and analyze current ethical issues such as biomedical research, insurance statutes, and demand management. Students survey the extensive legal foundations of health care, and apply current case law to contemporary situations. Topics include legal aspects of legislation, patient rights, data security, professional liability, and labor relations. (3 units)

This course includes a review of health policy actors and processes in the United States, roles of government, bureaucracy, and interest groups in health policy and the policy process. Students taking this course will also become familiar with common advocacy techniques and strategies used to initiate legislative and regulatory policies including coalition building, the use of policy studies, and media relations. (3 units)

Introduces issues in international health, emphasizing core disease conditions, leading causes of death and disability within an international context, as well as programmatic and policy responses to improve international health. Topics may include environmental/natural disaster preparedness, food security, infectious/communicable disease management, essential drugs and immunizations, population/family planning and maternal-child health, traditional practices and cross-cultural communications, literacy, and international public health policy/advocacy. (3 units)

This is an introductory, graduate level public health program planning, development, and evaluation course that broadly addresses program planning models, process of program development and methods of evaluation in the area of public health. This course will be focused on the following three areas: (1) study of program planning models, (2) process of program development, and (3) methods of evaluation in public health settings. (3 units)

This course provides an introduction to research methods that examines two major approaches in research paradigms. The course will study in depth different types of quantitative research designs such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and descriptive approaches and students will initiate a research project that investigates behavior, knowledge, or attitudes factors that help students to understand the complexity of behavior change through the use of qualitative and quantitative data. Prerequisite: HSC 544 or STA 544. (3 units)

This course is a culminating experience that allows the student to demonstrate public health knowledge they have gained throughout the MPH program. The culminating exercise will be in the format of a comprehensive examination, research thesis or project. Students completing a thesis or project will prepare a presentation (both oral and written) that focuses on that experience. Prerequisite: HSC 590. (3 units)

Biostatistics provides an introduction to selected important topics in bio-statistical concepts and reasoning. This course represents an introduction to the field and provides a survey of data and data types. Specific topics include tools for describing central tendency and variability in data; methods for performing inference on population means and proportions via sample data; statistical hypothesis testing and its application to group comparisons; issues of power and sample size in study designs; and random sample and other study types. While there are some formulae and computational elements to the course, the emphasis is on interpretation and concepts. Prerequisite: STA 144. (3 units)

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